School Officials Taking Extra Precautions in Wake of Park Attack

The Monday evening report of a has school officials taking extra precautions and New York State Park police increasing patrols.

Kings Park School Superintendent Dr. Susan Agruso has instructed teachers and staff to be aware of kids at dismissal and has put extra security and staff around the high school and middle school. and are across the street from park bike trails.

“We are instructing bus drivers to let walkers ride the bus and have reminded coaches to stay with kids until parents arrive,” said Agruso.

“We have not received a safety alert from the police but we are taking extra steps and instructing students and staff not to be alone and stay extra cautious,” she said.

Dan Keefe, deputy public information officer for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said the investigation is ongoing and police patrols have increased in light of the incident.

Keefe declined to indicate when patrols occur or if patrol cars are marked or unmarked.

“You don’t advertise how you patrol. It doesn’t serve the safety of the people to say when patrols take place,” said Keefe.

Keefe said he was unaware of any incidents of this type of attack ever having taken place at NRSP and had no statistics available Wednesday on crime at the park.

Kings Park Civic Association president Sean Lehmann said that the association would not comment on an ongoing investigation but spoke on behalf of the civic organization saying that they believed safety patrols were taking place.

“It has been our experience that the park is patrolled regularly by the state park police, Smithtown Public Safety and the Office of Mental Health Police,” said Lehmann.

Some members of the community who use the park said that they have not seen a police presence. Kings Park resident Debbie Danley, who frequents the park, said she has never seen any police.

“In nicer weather I often walked the trails off Sunken Meadow Road, I would enter the trail at the end of Twin Oaks Drive and walk up through the trails behind St. Johnland Nursing Home, up to the bluff around to Sunken Meadow State Park and never once did I see police or the parks department. When the weather was nice I was going five times a week,” said Danley.

Local resident Melissa MacDougal, who uses the park, has had similar experiences.

"I have never seen a police presence at the park," said MacDougal.

Park police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call (631) 321-3700. All calls will be kept confidential, police said.